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The Easter Rising told through unpublished documents

“On St. Patrick’s Day, 17th March 1916, an event of great importance took place in Dublin.”

On St. Patrick’s Day, 17th March 1916, an event of great importance took place in Dublin. It was the parade and review of the Dublin Brigade Irish Volunteers in College Green. A scene that was reminiscent of another memorable occasion when another set of Irish Volunteers paraded in the same place. It was a far cry between the days of Grattan and that March day 1916. The contrast was also more striking, more pronounced. Then, Ireland had the semblance of a parliament of its own; even allowing for its many severe disabilities, and that it was prescribed in various ways, but in 1916 the Parliament House did not exist – it was the Bank of Ireland and Ireland was governed from London where the Home Rule Bill, the charter of self-government resided nice and smug on the Statute Book.